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Beyond The Call of Duty
The sun crept on the horizon, as it's magnificent light began to envelope the world, certifying that it was indeed dawn. Deep within the middle section of Konohagakure was a young boy, still fast asleep, clinging to his empty dreams. His nirvana would then be killed, a moment later, by the screetching sound of the alarm clock. With mere impulse, his fist clenched as he tossed and turned to the alarm, and without a second to spare, punched it, destroying his pedestal in the progress. The young man rose up, rubbing his eyes and rose out of his bed in his pyjamas. As he walked, he realized that infront of him were two masked figures, dressed in a grey ANBU flak jacket, black pants, calf-length open-toed combat boots as well as a tanto strapped on their backs. “Haven't you ever heard of personal space?” The young man rhetorically inquired, his eyes still drowsy in the morning. “Lord Hokage asked us to request that you and the other members of Team Juro come as soon as possible” one of the ANBU Members requested, differentiated from the other by his spiky brown mahogany of hair, ignoring the young boy's rude words. Senkai stared at them for a moment as silence covered the room, “Just out of curiousity, why did Naruto-san send two ANBU for me, or are you stupid enough not to think about asking the others simultaneously?", the young man rudely asked once more as he turned around, walking towards the door of his bathroom. The ANBU were taught to restrain their emotions as it clouded their judgement, and the duo were well trained, as few could stand Senkai's rude nature without even signs of anger, the fulfilment of bashing the young boy and shoving his profanity down his throat. However, they remained adamant, only speaking when spoken to, and never once lost composure, a testament to their skill and discipline. “The Hokage told us that you might be quite a hindrance, and that force could be applied by us if necessary.” the other ANBU member answered, possessing long shoulder-length hair that made him stand out from his brown-haired counterpart. “I'm flattered by his knowledge of my skill, and I'll be there, you may leave.” the young man crudely spoke as he shut his bathroom door. “Kids...” the blonde-haired Anbu murmured in his mouth as the two shinobi disappeared in a blink of an eye. Senkai, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea of his rude nature, and did not quite care of what they thought of him for that matter. ---- The sunrise was something Juro never missed, as he enjoyed the subtle beauties life tended to bring. He sipped his hot chocolate casually on the roof of the Uchiha Household; inherited to his father by a generous landlord and old friend of his father's. The house had been renovated and extended by the supremely successful Densetsu, whose illustrious career as a shinobi generated incredible income. But the material wealth of his parents rarely interested Juro, who preferred to just watch the sunrise. The sky turned a brilliant orange as the sun rose above the Hokage Monument, and birds chirped as they rose to carry out their busy lives. Juro slurped loudly at his hot chocolate, as one by one the numerous alarms in the household began ringing. Kenshin's, Hanako's, Danzetsu's, Namazu's, Teishi's, plus Densetsu's, to be exact. There would soon be a scuffle for the bathrooms, as the lively household bustled with life. Juro loved it, that bumbling bunch he called family, but even they could not take the pain of his biggest failure away from him. As he finished his hot chocolate, he caught a strong whiff of deodorant, thus Juro spoke without turning. "One would expect the ANBU to be a little less...conspicuous, no?" The man who had tried a ninja style entry now walked towards Juro, his feet heavily thudding on the roof. If Juro's mother, Hitomi wasn't on her annual vacation away from home, she would have blown her top at the loud thudding on the ceiling. The ANBU male spoke from right behind Juro, seemingly enjoying the view as well. "Juro...I wouldn't try sneaking up on a sneakier rat like you. Anyway, the Hokage wants to see you, and your team." Juro raised an eyebrow and turned backwards, "My team? We just came back from a B-ranker two days back...what's up with the timing?" He asked. The man shrugged, "Dunno, must be important if he wants to see you so early." Juro nodded. "Alrighty. Have you informed my other two lads though? One of them's on a mission to Kirigakure." The man nodded again, "We've already informed Senkai. I trust that you and Namazu will be there in twenty minutes?" He asked. Juro sighed, "Yeah, make that thirty—" but the man had already vanished. Juro got up and leaped down the roof, swinging next to Namazu's room and knocking on the window while balancing on the window' ledge. Sweat dripped off the crimson floor carpet, from the young Namazu's nose as he rose up, before lowering a moment later. “Four hundred and seventy three...” the young man spoke as he raised himself up again with the use of his left hand, whilst his right hand clasped his neck and remained in that position. The young man proceeded with his daily morning routine: five hundred push-ups. Like his older brother, the Catfish of the Uchiha household had already woke up, and pushed itself further in this day than the previous one. Each time he rose up after lowering down, he was stronger. Each push-up was fuelled by his burning desire. His desire to get stronger, not only for his sake, but for the leaf. “Four hundred and seventy four...” the young man murmured in-between his suppressed feelings of immense pain in his shoulders, before the chakra signature of his maverick sensei and older brother grasped his attention in his window. The young boy rose up, wiping his face with the nearby sheets of the bed before approaching his window, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Dressed in merely a grey vest as well as black shorts, he walked slowly towards the window, his bare feet slowly thudding on the mohagony that is the wooden floor. Opening his window, his head stretched outside it and tilted to spot Juro's nearby position “Hey, Juro-sensei... Why're you here?” asked the young man. Juro comically sighed, "Maybe because we still live under the same roof, and keep the sensei stuff to the missions, you make me feel old." He muttered. "Anyway, I'd suggest you get dressed. Hokage wants to see Team Juro in his office in twenty minutes. It's a rush, but duty calls. Hurry! I'll fill in dad with the details, so don't worry about simply leaving the house." And with that, Juro disappeared. Juro rushed into the bathroom downstairs, shoving an angry Kenshin out of the way as he stole the bathroom from his younger brother, citing it to be "Hokage's Orders". His siblings were already rushing all over the place, and Juro had to struggle to rush up the staircase after his shower, almost embarrassingly slipping at the staircase; very un-ninjalike. He rushed through the corridor on the second floor, at the end, where his father's room was. Opening the door, he discovered that his father fiddling with his cellphone childishly in the bed. "Hey dad," he called out, and was met by a grunt from Densetsu. Juro rolled his eyes before continuing. "Namazu and I might be away for a bit, Hokage's summoned us, just thought I'd let you know since we're in a rush." Densetsu raised a brow and grunted again, before letting out a statement, "Remember to take all that orange juice in the freezer, and those sandwiches too." Juro's eyes widened. "But those sandwiches are a day old! We could just buy something at Ichiraku..." He protested, but decided to go with the plan anyway after his father dismissed him. He rushed into his room on the floor above and got changed, rushing back down to knock on Namazu's door. "I hope you're done Namazu! Meet you outside!" He yelled as he ran downstairs, towards the door. Upon sighting his older kin make room for him in the bathroom, Namazu ceased the opportunity, and rocketed into the bathroom, grasping the tap and turning the tap open, not even bothering to check the temperature of the water. This lead to him being brought back to the cold reality, in the form of ice-cold water seeping through his body. The sensation of the cold water in the morning literally triggered what most of his family dreaded and hoped would not surface; his pure unbridalled anger. Namazu went berserk, and rapidly punched the toilet seat until it was nothing but a memory and a pile of rubble. A moment later, Namazu was brought back to his senses, as well as the realization of what he had done. His blood ran colder at the water at the thought of the fury of his mother whe she sees the destruction caused by him in the bathroom. Reality struck once more as Namazu remembered that he was on a hurry. After washing himself, brushing is teeth as well as fixing his hair, Namazu stormed off from the bathroom into his room, kicking his door open and running to his closet. “Almost done!” yelled the young boy in response to Juro's inquiry as he wore his navy jersey atop his white shirt with grey patterns. In the back of his jersey was his main source of pride: the crest of the Uchiha Clan. Finishing of his attire were black shorts with his toolkit strapped on it's right thigh, as well as calf-length black boots, open-toed. Namazu grasped his forehead protector from his bed-sheets and placed it around his forehead, before strapping the scabbard of his katana into his back, his sword silently resting in it until called upon by it's wielder. Namazu, after a single step, jumped out the window, landing outside beside his brother. “Try to keep up!” the young boy mused before vanishing into nothingness. He leaped silently from building to building before reaching the Hokage Residence, jumping through the window in a frontflip, perfectly landing on his feet before turning around to see the others in the office of the Hokage. “I'm here!” However he would enter to see that Juro had already arrived. Senkai was there too, thus Team Juro had officially assembled–minus their third member. Juro shook his head mildly and smirked, mouthing the words "Such insolence," to his younger brother, as the trio faced the Hokage to see what he had to say. Namazu growled at his brother, only to be stopped by a sigh from the Hokage. “You're all here. Good. We have received a distress signal from Kusagakure. However, we are unable to aid them as their current leader, Takayuki, does not want affiliation with other villages. Infact, it is still a surprise that Kusa seeks help from Konoha. The descriptions of the mission are vague, and they merely want skilled shinobi to speak with an agent, known as Code: X, who will inform us more about the other details. Due to the small amount of payment offered, it is safe to say that this mission is C-rank, max. But I can't rule out a double cross, as we do not have clear knowledge of who we're dealing with... Which is why you three were chosen.” Naruto spoke, as he pushed the scroll with the details of the mission to the edge of the table, signifying for Juro to take it. “Senkai. Namazu.” the two stepped closer without further instruction from the Hokage. “both of you are more or less skilled to measure up to jōnin standards. And you both deserved your promotion to chunin rank, and you would provide a proper combat repetoire in case it comes to that situation. And then Juro. You are one of Konoha's best, despite your... Different methods, in addition to not following the rules. You will be the main force for the two in case things get rough, as you wield more experience and skill than the duo combined. Once this Code: X fills you in on the details, you will either accept or decline depending on the scale of his or her requirements. If it falls to B, A or especially S-rank, decline and return back, as they might be scamming the leaf.” Naruto firmly stated, as he turned to Juro. “If there aren't any other questions, you may go.” Juro's brows deepened as he got serious, while he approached the scroll. "This guy Code: X, do we have any info on him whatsoever? I know he's an agent and all but is he ex-ANBU? Does he have any noteworthy background? Notable battles?" Juro asked, deep down he felt very suspicious of the whole mission, especially about the agent. Juro took the scroll up and thought to himself. "A possibility of going higher than B.." He turned at looked at his students briefly. Eventhough the two were skilled shinobi, probably the best of this batch, Juro knew things could quickly turn bad in the open, especially so far from home. “Unfortunately, we have none. For the time being, you'll have to risk it and meet with this Code: X face-to-face.” the Hokage spoke, the grim seriousness evident in his visage. “And like I said... If this guy's demands are too heavy, don't hesitate to decline! You may go...” Naruto spoke in a stern voice. He too realized the potential gravity of the situation, but other shinobi were on duty, and the Anbu had remain vigilant to keep the village safe after Gekihen's departure and treachery. "Alright. We'll get it done." Juro said, beckoning to Senkai and Namazu as the nodded and headed towards the exit. While going down the steps, he spoke hushedly to his team. "Stay vigilant. I smell a trap." Team Juro Departs Senkai and Namazu stood at the gates of the leaf, each with a backpack, black and green respectively in color. “Where's Juro?” Senkai inquired to Namazu, who merely growled to him. “You jackass... Don't you have any respect for him? He is our sensei for crying out loud!” Namazu snarled. “Meh... Each has their opinion towards the true meaning of respect. Is it some honorific? Or bowing down? Or how you truly feel towards a person for their achievements? For me, the answer is quite simple. I don't care. I have no respect for anyone because I do not feel oblidged to do so. No matter what you or anyone else is for that matter. I just. Dont. Care...” the young man spoke, his face devoid of emotion nor empathy. Namazu merely sighed as he folded his arms. “He must also have been gathering supplies, so I think he'll be here soon” Juro appeared soon enough, with his favourite dangos. While chewing on them, he trudged forward with his backpack, his other hand holding two plastic bags filled with food for their journey. He walked past the boys up the road, with a casual apology for being late. As they walked, Juro spoke calmly to the boys behind him. "I've heard things about the leader of Kusa. Kinda messed up things." He popped a dango in his mouth and continued. "The way this mission's been set up, I have a slight feeling that we may be deep, red water soon. Especially with this whole agent stuff. One things for sure though; I know this mission's definitely going way beyond a simple C-rank." He straightened his forehead protector and allowed his words to sink into the two genin. "Naruto knows this well, which is why he's sent us into this. He's banking on a 5% chance that this actually is a C-rank, but he knows well enough that there's something lying deeper. The fact is, I don't think we have anything to worry about, where Code: X is concerned—but what comes after is the thing that's keeping me alert. This is a decision call, and I need to know what you; the students charged under me feel about this. With your training, I'm confident that you can handle whatever's thrown at you, even B-ranked and beyond." He let his students respond as they continued walking. “It's a yes from me!” Namazu smiled, raising his left thumb as well as his signature open-mouthed smile. “At this point, I'm not sure going beyond B-rank would be wise seeing as though this may be a scam, and could possibly lead to a war between Kusa and Konoha, or a mission discount scam as Naruto put it. However, we haven't had the full facts, so my decision remains neither at the moment.” Senkai bluntly spoke, his mind already calculating the possible chances and ways in which this mission could go. He wasn't scared, nor was he excited. As a recluse, he was detached from the normal emotion. Namazu, on the other hand, hoped that it would be B-rank. Lower-level missions are of no interest to him, and an A-rank would provide great experience. “I think we should just collect the facts from now on, and take it from there.” Senkai spoke, and Namazu showed signs of boredom from his words, “This guy sucks the fun out of stuff like a sponge... ” murmured Namazu from within his mind as they kept walking. “So... Assuming it'll take us a week to get to the grass village if we keep going like grandmothers, shouldn't we pick up the pace?” Namazu inquired at his younger brother as he adjusted his backpack. "Ever the enthusiast," Juro thought as they picked up the pace and accelerated. "It's not what follows the meeting with the agent that concerns me as much as what happens if we say no." Juro started as they leaped over branches through the forest now. "We're going into all of this with a pretty hazy notion: at the moment we don't know X's motives, we don't know who the rule makers are, hell we don't even know the rules. Plus we've gotta take the other factors into consideration. If we say no, would the potential implications bring harm to our village? Things could go way beyond the scam of accepting the offer. That's the tricky thing here." He said as he leapt to the higher branches. "While it seems that we may have a lot of time to decide when we get to the actual deal, we might not. We don't know about the conditions in Kusa, since their leader is a well known dictator of sorts. The guy doesn't even want relations with other villages. What say he sets a trap for us when we get there? It might be paranoia, but it's good to be prepared. Which is why we need a hazy notion of whether or not we will proceed with this, despite the obvious risks." Senkai kept on accelerating before jumping to a tree branch, preferring to jump from tree-to-tree instead of running.“ It really comes down to the request: It's scale as well as results. And if this Code: X guy gets too demanding, well... I'm quite confident that we can fight him... Or perhaps not. Currently, were merely guessing what the facts could be, so let's just wait.” he replied. "Well...I guess we just have to hope we aren't walking into a trap, then." Juro hushedly whispered as they continued to the clearing of the jungle at high speeds. He loosened all his combat gear as he ran; all the numerous hidden mechanisms he utilised to keep the enemy guessing. Just in case they needed to fight upon arrival. ---- Deep within the cloudy land of grass, a hooded figure walked. His entire silver coat stretched up to his calf, obscuring any view upon the man's visage. “It won't be long, now... How I've waited for this...” a voice reminiscent of an old man crept, a small white snake crept upon the man's hood, slithering it's tongue to scan the environment as the man walked forward. From beneath the hood, a malevolent smile was conjured by the man, followed by a devious chuckle... ---- Sunset had struck as the team continued with their walk, the sun slowly went into hiding. The young shinobi duo had remained quiet, each caught within their thoughts, only disturbed by the sounds of their footsteps as they lept from tree to tree in the quiet forest, only a kilometre before the next town. Senkai had already began to deduce the multiple scenarios which could occur as well as how to detect and deal with them as soon as possible. Visualising an image in his mind, he would begin to memorize any action the man would take with attention to detail, and thus was able to keep himself twenty steps ahead in case this man attempted anything towards him. Namazu, on the other hand, had only two simple predictions, either he was good or evil, latter of which would require him to simply kick his butt. Sweat dripped from the two boys' foreheads as they kept walking leaping towards their goal. Juro leaped here and there, but he had now activated his Sharingan. He needed to perceive every tiny detail now, so far away from home. Everything could be a trap, everything required precautions. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and he backflipped over a branch and hit the road in a jog, making a sharp turn as they got out of the jungles. He beckoned to the boys, a signal to stop running and proceed cautiously now. He instinctively stroked his Tantō, before continuing forward. They had arrived at the town now, as dusk approached. "I suggest we rest up awhile." Juro suggested to his students. The two boys nodded simultaneously, both of which had their feet hurting slightly. “ So, do we camp out or get ourselves a hotel? ” Namazu inquired. He hoped it would be the second option, cause then he would be able to see some girls in hotsprings. The constant walks and quick breaks to eat were as boring as watching grass grow to him. “ Well? ”, Namazu made his question clear as Senkai looked in the distance, still predicting the multiple ways in which the meeting would occur. “ Most importantly, we need to establish a strategy to use when encountering this Code: X. Casually strolling to shake hands may not be wise... ” Senkai also addressed his Sensei as he continued to devise a plan in case things went AWOL. "I've got a few plans, but all of them involve me handling this guy face to face. I can't put you two in such direct risk as to face him together with me. That way you two will be more adequately prepared to react from a distance, if he proves to be hostile." Juro stated. "Oh, we're putting up in a hotel. Get some comfort, we don't know if we'll have similar luxury anytime soon after this." He put in, as he lead the boys to a small motel downtown, where there were hushed, excited whispers from the town crowd as they realised that Juro Uchiha was among them. The check ins proceeded pretty smoothly, as Juro got them a large room for three, settling their backpacks onto the floor of the well kept room. Juro was quick to make his intentions for the remainder of the night clear. "I don't know about you boys, but I hate being sticky and sweaty, so I'm heading to the hot springs now. You're welcome to follow, once I'm done we'll have a buffet meal ordered to the room—I still have too much unspent cash from my previous mission." Juro said, as he plucked out a few bath towels from his rucksack and headed to the hot springs, eager to warm his muscles and enjoy a good, reputed bath. “I'm In!!” Namazu yelled eagerly, following his brother to the hotsprings. However, he had ulterior motives, and wanted to peek at the female section instead of relaxing in the hotsprings. “I'll pass” Senkai spoke as he let his backpack fall down from his back. Opening his bag, a book unravelled, it's title boldly written as 'Alchemy' as he lyed down on the floor, his back feeling the wooden mohagony below him. ---- After their warm bath, Juro and Namazu had returned fresh and cleansed, and Juro kept his promise. He ordered a massive buffet to be taken up to the room. Juro suspected that Namazu had been peeping at the women, but he let that pass. As he and his team feasted, Juro ate in silence, waiting to hear what his team had to say, if anything. The young boys, for the night, were silent; their thoughts fully grasped on the following day as they continued to munch on the buffet on the table. Senkai, unexpectedly, broke the silence within the table. “Ever wondered how someone would turn out, had they been able to see the fruits of their actions from the start? The true end-result of all that they do before they even do them... Would it make life easier? Or harder? Or just plain boring?” the young man asked, his eyes directed on Juro. Being "experienced" in that philosophy, he would be the one capable of answering the question. Senkai sipped the water, awaiting a response from his sensei. Namazu, on the other hand, was simply shocked. It was quite rare that Senkai let his own thoughts out in the open. Even a single one, as he just did, was nothing short of surprising. Juro exhaled smoothly and looked at a corner slowly. He played with his chopsticks before replying, "All three actually, all three. Most likely the second option, when you're dealing with those who are too indoctrinated in their beliefs, and this is especially dangerous when those beliefs are twisted beyond measure." His thoughts shifted to Gekihen on that fateful night, that madness which shone in his stolen Byakugan. "These individuals will only strengthen in resolve with the promise that the suffering they have caused is necessary for the sake of the bigger picture. Most of the time it isn't the big picture that's wrong; it's the method in which they seek to achieve the endgame, which is wrong. But people don't realise that. They justify their wrongs with the eventual right. This is what's wrong with the shinobi world." Juro said solemnly, thinking of Gekihen the whole way. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and finished his orange juice. "So yes Senkai, I do think about it a lot." Juro finished as he stood up and stared out the window. Juro's words were nothing like he had expected. They were a powerful sharp force that began to drill through the iron walls that covered Senkai's heart. However, letting others discern this act would be a sign of weakness. As a shinobi, Senkai did not have the luxury of weakness. So he decided to calmly retreat from the conversation. “Oh... I see...” he calmly spoke before slurping the last of his noodles. “Well... I'm going to get some sleep. It's a big day tomorrow.” he spoke as he stood up, walking towards the bedroom. Namazu soon followed, leaving without uttering a single word. Simply. Shocked. It was rare that his rival asked such questions, in fact, he has never seen him ask such questions before. Walking to the bedroom, he undressed himself, and fell into deep slumber... After the boys had fallen asleep, Juro was still outside, looking through the window. The reflection in the window wasn't his, but Gekihen's, blue haired and all. "Things just don't pan out as expected sometimes..." Juro muttered to himself as the mirage dissipated. He stood up and silently cleared the leftovers, before checking on his sleeping students. He saw them both as his brothers, and his responsibility. The chance to make things right with both of them, to pass all his knowledge down to them and ensure that they became great shinobi, but even greater humans, something so lacking in this world that craved power and authority. He'd protect them both and ensure they found their way, and achieved their respective nindo. That was his job as a teacher, and a human being. Silently he shut their sliding door as he entered his own room, turning on the air conditioner. He looked at the wall clock. "11:15...early. Oh well." He whispered to himself as he lay in his bed and drifted to a land of dreams, where he could escape from the harsh realities of the world and craft momentarily, the seeds of his future. Day Two: The Encounter Dawn crept up on the horizon, as the two boys stood atop the roof of the hotel, fully dressed in their regular attire and looking up on the horizon. Senkai stared deep into the horizon, with Namazu doing the same ―despite not knowing why― and regularly turning to look at Senkai, whose eyes seemed fixated on the rising sun. “You Okay...? I can tell when you are not your cocky, apathetic self, you know...” the young Namazu mused, looking at his ‘friend’ with concern. Silence overwhelmed them, before Senkai's lips parted. “Despite it not being your concern... I am okay. Is Juro-sensei ready? We should get going... Kusa isn't far from here. We might reach it at noon, latest.” Senkai spoke, his eyes blinking before remaining in their position. Fixated on the orange sun that came from the horizon. However, what left Namazu startled was the fact that Senkai just reffered to Juro as ‘sensei’. “That's it!” Namazu yelled from within his mind. “Senkai's attitude is finally cracking. Someone must've hit a nerve... A big one” he continued, as a smug grin parted from his lips, stretching wide in his visage. Senkai remained quiet, looking into the horizon whilst waiting for Juro atop the motel. There was a gust of wind and Juro was among them, as silently as ever. "Morning you two, hope you enjoyed your sleep." Juro casually stated, admiring the sunrise as always. "Quite the view...alright, we should get going. All set?" He asked as he tightened his backpack. Looking at the boys, he turned back to the front and tightened his shoe laces. "Let's go!" Juro said as he leaped forward and set off, with the boys closely behind. The boys leaped out of the roof, following their illustrious leader towards their destination. Jumping from tree-to-tree, the young boys continued to go forward, each step taking them closer to what lies ahead. “Huh... We might be in over our head in this, I can feel it.” Namazu said within his mind, his eyes narrowing forward. He looked at his sensei and... Fr―enemy... His mind then drifted back home. Konoha. His family. His mother and father. His siblings. “No... I won't die! I will live, and I will be the strongest shinobi who ever lived!” the words loomed from the young man's mind, inspiring him to go faster and further, fuelled by his determination. ---- The trio had been travelling for long distances, until the young Senkai felt a tremendous amount of chakra, immediately, he ceased leaping. Namazu also did the same, kneeling down atop a tree. Juro, being a sensor, would have felt this powerful surge of chakra, which came from kilometres away. “You felt it too, huh?” the hazel-eyed Senkai inquired the others, kneeling down with his left knee as his eyes narrowed looking on what lies beyond. The chakra was certainly... Dark... This indicated that the adversary perhaps was not as he seemed to be. “What's the next plan of action? Are you going alone towards this guy? Or do we aid you..?” Namazu asked his brother as he folded his arms, looking at the distance where the man is presumed to be. Juro glanced grimly ahead, taken aback by the power of the chakra he felt. Evil, and enormous chakra, something very disheartening. "Yeah I felt that," Instantly his eyes blasted vividly into redness, the sign of the Sharingan. "We have to assume the possibility that this guy is a sensor too. That being said he may know that you both are with me. Still, I can't risk all three of us going in at once." Juro's Sharingan spun quickly. "Namazu, Senkai, stay 40 metres behind me at all times, stay concealed at all times. I don't sense any other chakra signatures, so I presume this individual is alone. That will give you adequate time to react if this guy is as...foul as his chakra dictates. If anything happens, run back to the Leaf while I handle him, clear? Now, keep cautious distance and stick together." Juro said as he leaped off towards that foul signature. The two boys did just as they were told, and remained approximately 40 metres as their sensei went forward towards the location where this chakra was felt. Namazu approached with mixed emotions: fear as well as excitement ran through his blood. Senkai was...different. He did not seem fazed as their sensei went closer and closer to this individual The cloaked figure continued to walk forward, and the young man stepped closer, and he had already felt the presence of three shinobi. He felt one get closer and closer towards him, and stood, draped in a silver hood that hid him from the world's view. Golden eyes stemmed from the man's eyes, glaring into the approaching figure from a distance, analysing him. “Judging from their different approach, one of them possibly sensed me already... And he must've felt my... Rare chakra... Oh well...” the man thought within himself as his eyes remained fixated on the approaching shinobi... Juro walked towards the cloaked man and stopped after a notable distance. "Are you the one known as Code X?" He asked casually as the wind blew his wavy hair backwards. He awaited the man's reply as his eyes scanned left and right, constantly reverting his gaze to the cloaked figure, ensuring his Sharingan could track every single movement. The masked man removed his coat, his appearance being that of a golden-eyed man with silver hair and wrinkles, signifying old age. Looking at the man before him, he spoke with seriousness “Indeed, I am... So you are the best the great leaf village can provide..?” the man asked, looking and scrutinizing the shinobi before him. Juro eyed the man with intense suspicion, but his blazing red eyes revealed nothing but the cool air of stoicism from the Uchiha. "Well then, what is the matter of business which you have summoned us with? I was under orders that you're the man to give the details, so please enlighten me," Juro said, eager to receive information, albeit warily. The man could feel the tense emotions before him, and so he simply let the man before him hear the truth. “I come in peace, child... However, I do need you and your friends help... Yes, I felt their presence... I am part of a secret rebellious group inside Kusagakure, and I managed to escape without being detected. We need your help... Our people have been under the Scum Takayuki's rule for too long! We need you to help us grant them freedom. Being shinobi from the honorable Leaf Village, I am sure you have some humanity in you. Please help... Will you help us?” the man pleaded, desperation evident in the tone of his voice. Juro pondered carefully at these words emotionlessly, making sure not the slightest hint of expression leaked through his visage. His suspicion was at its highest now. "Sir, if it was that you had asked, you should have consulted it with the Hokage. What you're suggesting is a Coup d'Etat—and involving the Leaf in a plot like this would be a breach of international law, as well as a confrontational gesture from the Leaf," Juro replied, his left hand sneakily moving to his back, forming first a clenched fist before wiggling his index and middle fingers in unison, a signal for Senkai and Namazu to move closer, but not too close. "To undertake something as potentially disastrous as this without consulting the Hokage, that's unacceptable sir." Juro warned, closely studying the old man's face, as the tomoe of his Sharingan spun again. The two boys saw the signal, and moved closer, stepping at a fair distance away and remaining away from the confrontation. “The Hokage and I are not on good terms... I did some bad things in my life. With your eyes, perhaps you may see that the darkness still remains within me. I never had anything to fight for except my village...” the man paused, tears rolling down on his face as he fell onto his knees. “Please...” the man begged again, his voice filled with desperation. Juro was now deeply suspicious, something was way off about this man. His dark, powerful chakra spoke volumes about his pent up intentions. Darkness did not remain around him; he was the darkness. Instantly Juro stepped backwards a little at he man's emotional outbreak, his students would see the situation rapidly escalating, despite their sensei's otherwise calm demeanour. "I've got to ask...what bad things have you done, to the extent one as merciful as Naruto Uzumaki wishes to avoid contact with you? And what would you do, should we decline?" The question was tense and penetrative, a bullet shattering the serene area. Juro knew Naruto, his still naive and overly positive nature. If a man like that could not trust this individual, Juro knew something was seriously wrong. "Who...are you...?" Thought Juro to himself as a hundred possibilities raced through his mind. The man before Juro stood up. “I am a former surbordinate of Orochimaru. He was my master, and I was his servant. Once, I massacred an entire town, which did not fair well with the Hokage. However, I've changed. I have established a family here, and a child... Please... Help Me... I'm not strong enough to defeat Takayuki alone...” tears dropped from the man's eyes as he spoke to the man before him. Juro's heart was still beating rapidly, thudding and thudding. He knew it was too dangerous to trust this man, both for Team Juro and Konohagakure. International sentiment would turn against Konoha if Juro allowed his own thoughts to get in the way, but if this man was truly mounting a revolt against a tyrant, Juro also felt for those imprisoned in Kusa. He couldn't make a call so dangerous without proper validation, he couldn't risk Senkai's and Namazu's lives, so he quickly replied. "Let's say my team and I say no to your request; we'd be following international and village protocol, but what would you do?" Juro asked the emotional man. The man kneeled down, looking at the shadow of the man before him, as his own senses lingered at the potent signatures of the two young boys from afar. "This was not a request... It was... A plea... I must end the rule of the tyrant to save the people... Takayuki has even went to the lengths of adding a poisonous substance to the very fog that plagues the village. All who defy him become slowly insane by the hour... Soon, all the citizens will lose hope. So, if you disagree, I will battle Takayuki in hopes of freeing the people, even if it kills me..." the man spoke in a tone best described as incoherent. It showed determination and desperation at the same time. He remained kneeled as he addressed the Konoha-nin. Juro sighed and rubbed his temples. The dilemma was too great, and he couldn't simply make a choice, especially one as dangerous as this. "Give me a minute," he said as he fell back further behind, back to Senkai and Namazu. "I don't know what to feel about this guy and his story," Juro started. He recounted the man's entire tale to the two boys, before posing the choice to them. "I need you two to think this out rationally–forget that man, I just need you two to weigh two things: our village and those villagers. Senkai, what's your take on this? Namazu? " Juro asked worriedly, his blazing Sharingan penetrated the souls of the boys. He couldn't stand still and simply let a tyrant kill people almost for sport; but at the same time he couldn't endanger his home. He also couldn't put his life and especially his students' lives into the hands of this man. He needed to knew what they thought.